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Hester Prynne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne bestows upon Hester Prynne a character of unparalleled strength with a high capacity for moral reflection. Hester’s strong actions and reflectively eye opening thoughts foreshadow a brilliant light at the end of this dark tunnel of a tale where she will pick a “sweet moral blossom” (Hawthorne 42) that has been nurtured by her excruciating struggle and has finally bloomed. When Hester is officially convicted of her act of adultery, she is forced to wear a scarlet “A” upon her chest as punishment and a symbol of shame that she must live with for the rest of her life; she was then forced to stand on display for her fellow Puritan townspeople and let everyone view her “sin”. However, to the spectators’ amazement, Hester stood before them “with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed” (46). Hawthorne uses her expression in the face of what is meant to be overwhelming pain to show her …show more content…

One might interpret these thoughts as proof of her strength. Just as reflection on her shame begins to bring her to a breaking point, the call of her child snaps her out of it and the reality of the letter is used to remind her that she must continue to fight on. To give in would be to accept her own infant as a symbol of shame which, as any mother would know, goes against every maternal instinct. Any time her strength wavers, she will stand again and move forward for the sake of her baby at

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Hawthorne uses many forms of rhetoric to portray his characters, but relies heavily on pathos in the instance of Hester Prynne. She’s a member of an inherently misogynistic society, and because she’s a woman, her every act is scrutinized. As punishment for her act of adultery, Hester is ordered to adorn her chest with a permanent scarlet letter. Although the audience is well aware of the atrocity of the sin she’s committed, Hawthorne’s writing sparks a feeling of empathy within the reader. Throughout the novel, the reader is exposed to several clear uses of pathos.

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In the beginning of the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces the main character Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful member of a Puritan society being punished for her sin of love, not lust. The opening chapters introduce the reader to gossips who deem her original punishment, death, too harsh and contrary to Puritan beliefs that unborn babies should be given a chance at life. Instead, Hester and her child are to be alienated and shunned. In addition she is to wear the letter ‘A’ (which stands for ‘adultery’) on her chest which will forever display her as a symbol of shame for her sin. Though a very resilient figure who soon overcomes this pain, Hester’s isolation takes a negative toll on her life.

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Within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, antagonist Hester Prynne is subjected to the opinions and treatment of 17th century’s Massachusetts Bay Colony as a result of her sinful act of adultery. In the Puritan colony, it was important to be faithful, both to thine spouse, and most importantly, to God. Hester’s adultery issued her public ridicule and shunning, and a physical reminder to be forever worn; an embroidered ‘A’ placed upon her bosom. The symbol served to alert all of her faithless act, “It had the affect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (page 74). Throughout the novel, Hester’s treatment is obvious, and she makes many efforts to not let her choice, and her illegitimate child Pearl, define her.

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r 2-3 Hester Prynne is first introduced as a tall, dark haired woman with perfect elegance. Described as beautiful and ladylike, Hester appears more graceful than ever. I think Hester seems scared and apprehensive, but also willing to take responsibility for her actions and do anything necessary to protect her baby. The fact that Hester’s scarlet letter is so beautifully designed suggests that she accepts her consequences and this symbol as a part of herself and her new life moving forward. Hawthorne notes that Hester and her babe are similar due to the fact that they are both outcasts from society.

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Every culture has legends which identify their characteristics. Although, both of Hawaii and Mongolia have big culture in legend, there are some similarities and differences. One of the most popular legends in Mongolia is Erkhyn Mergen. Erkhyn Mergen was the best archer in ancient time. One day, seven suns rised.

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In Chapter 13 of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne describes the

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(52) To Hester, the scarlet letter on her chest simply symbolizes the sin of adultery and is able to flaunt it as if it were a beautiful thing in front of the citizens of her town. However, to the Puritan society, it not only symbolizes the shame and sin of adultery but also how Hester is now only an adulterer, nothing more nor nothing less. The Puritan society, especially the men who issued the scarlet letter as a punishment to her, has disregarded other aspects of Hester Prynne’s life such as her motherhood, not being a charitous woman or an embroiderer, only an adulterer. This can be recognized within several parts of the novel of how the Puritan figures consistently discriminate against certain rights and beliefs as a result of her sin In many cases, throughout the world’s history, Mothers are appreciated and recognized as one, and how they raise the future. However, if the Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter does acknowledge Hester as a mother, they associate it with her sin and how awful of a mother she must be as a result of her

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In society, people are criticized and punished for their individual choices and flaws, according to Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter. The protagonist, Hester prynne, is a strong-hearted woman who faces hardship, but uses her inner strength to face the adversity and reveal her true self. Within the society that Hester lives in, Adultery is one of the worst sins that could possibly be committe, thus needing great punishment. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” upon her bosom as a life long punishment for committing Adultery. Arising from this punishment, Hester is forced to find her way to prosper her uniqueness and individuality, even amongst the rigid society.

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In their attempt to punish Hester for her adultery, Puritan society loses their ethics as they deprive her of free expression. Moreover, after having a heartfelt conversation with Reverend Dimmesdale in which she takes off the scarlet letter, Hester puts it back on with “…the scarlet misery glittering on the old spot...her beauty, the warmth and richness of her womanhood, departed like fading sunshine, and a gray shadow seemed to fall across her” (Hawthorne 133). Again, through the

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The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, showcases the various journeys through the suffering of guilt and shame. By following three differing characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, Hawthorne effectively portrays how the submission to negative emotions is consistently determined by the strength of the sufferers mindset. Hester Prynne is convicted for adultery in the beginning of the novel. She is first introduced flaunting the scarlet “A” on her bosom as a punishment for her misdeeds. Although she had the choice to flee her humiliation, “she said to herself, [the Massachusets Bay Colony] had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment” (Hawthorne 54).

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Hester Prynne is a woman from Boston, Massachusetts. During the 1640s she was punished for committing adultery. She was given multiple punishments. The punishments that were given to her were very harsh. Hester's punishments were cruel because she was publicly ridiculed; she must wear the Scarlet Letter for life; and her child may be taken away from her.

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784 Words | 4 Pages

Living in a strict Puritan town in the 1800’s, Hester Prynne, a transcendentalist, is forced to wear a scarlet letter on her chest for the rest of her life as punishment for her sin of adultery. Because Hester is a Puritan, she understands that she participated in a horrible sin and can never be forgiven. She wears the letter without resisting because she knows she needs the punishment. She conforms to the Puritan ways but only because she grew up Puritan. Because it is the only belief she knows, it is hard for Hester

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The Virtuous Woman Hester Prynne The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne focuses on the early Puritan settlement of Boston and a woman named Hester Prynne. Hawthorne has this character face having a child out of wedlock and hatred from society. In this case then, is Hester Prynne a virtuous woman or not?

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Feminism is the philosophy advocating equal political, economic, and social rights for women. The idea of feminism was not at all prevalent during the 1850s when Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published. In spite of this, Hawthorne wrote one of the most influential feminist novels of his time: The Scarlet Letter. This novel was hailed as an important feminist novel because of the main character: Hester Prynne.

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The story is set in 17th century Boston. In the 17th century, Boston was a Puritan settlement. A young woman named Hester Prynne is being led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms. Hester has a scarlet “A” on her breast. That “A” on her breast means that she has committed adultery, that or which, she is being punished for.

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